Microage deal shakes up Sun assembly race

A US deal to assemble servers increases pressure on Tplc to gain UK rights to build machines

US distributor Microage has struck a deal to assemble Sun Microsystems? Ultrasparc servers, paving the way for similar European contracts which may throw Tplc?s one in jeopardy.

Tplc, Sun?s master reseller in the UK, already works closely with the vendor on machine installation and would be the hot favourite to win it. But other specialist distributors and assemblers, including Northamber and Hardware 2000, could also make a strong case for the contract.

John Pattenden, Sun?s UK server product marketing manager, said Tplc has the skill to install and integrate boxes on customers? sites. ?We have accreditation programmes in place which give our corporate resellers the skills to do that,? he said.

?We have to draw a line in terms of fully testing configurations and allowing customers flexibility in how they configure their machines.?

Microage and Sun expect to hammer out details of the US agreement this week, according to a Microage representative. ?A different unit takes care of that in the UK,? he said. A Sun representative was unable to say which distributor would do the assembly in the UK.

Chet Silvestri, president of Sun Microelectronics, the vendor?s semiconductor subsidiary, said Sun aims to push the Ultrasparc into Web server markets and the traditional territory of the PC. ?Our goal is to make this same server technology available to PC resellers,? he said.

Microage has also signed a deal to assemble Digital PCs, alongside existing OEM systems deals with vendors including Apple, Compaq, Hewlett Packard and IBM, at its US integration centre.

The US distributor also holds a 25 per cent stake in UK-based company Genysis.